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 Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:57 am
She had a name. Finally. A new name. She could head home, and was. But why did she feel so . . . . heartbroken? It's not like Erlendr thought her his mate. And he was the first fluffy male she liked, understood - oddly enough - and crushed on. But it was between him and her home, her family, her mother. And her mother had won. As she should have. Janan'Daya loved her children and would be anxious for their returns. Erlendr understood that. He understood a lot.
Morska stopped thinking about it, him, her time with him. It was still too painful to relish the memories that she was able to create with him. Instead she thought about the trip back to the swamps. She thought about Shabnam and her mother. And the other friends she'd made on this quest.
And walked right into what appeared to be a pride's territory. Smallish cubs and juvies lay about, some odd cubs - cursed. There were a few females around, but they weren't acting like mothers, like her mom had when she was raising Morska'Zelena and her siblings.
No, don't think about it, it wasn't a good place to be and it really didn't matter where their mother, mothers, were. Morska'Zelena backed away from the lounging felines, not wanting to cause trouble with the adults that were around - somewhere - or the gods that were sure to be watching.
No, she didn't need to be cursed before returning home. Then she'd never see her mother.
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:57 am
Athena was just returning home with the latest hunting trip's fruits when he came upon the youngish female standing outside where the group was lounging. He let the antelope he was dragging fall for a moment and poked her. "Do you need help? My family and I would be happy to do what we can for you." He grabbed the antelope again and started dragging it past her. In most prides the females did the majority of the hunting, not in this traveling group. If possible, this one male would do it all.
He let the kill drop and the others went for the food while his cubs all greeted him. He took a moment to make sure the cubs were well and started on their meal before he trotted back to the female standing outside their little resting spot. He fluffed himself up and settled down in front of the female. He would let her answer his earlier question and see where it went from there.
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:55 pm
Morska'Zelena shook her head in confusion. She didn't need understand. How could the cursed help her? Shouldn't she help them? From afar? She watched the big, very fluffy male drop his kill and the little ones rush to greet him before setting about their shared meal.
But a mommy was supposed to do that. Females hunted for the family and pride unless it was a job given by the pride's leader. But it looked like this fluffy male was the leader. "But . . . .where's the mommy? Is she bringing in another kill?" Did they pair up to bring back as much meat as possible?
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:51 pm
Athena blinked at the question. The young female looked quite confused and he had to wonder why. What did it matter where the mother was? Another kill, ah, that part made a little more sense, but still not complete. She wondered why he had no help perhaps? Or did she think what he brought would not be enough for everyone? The big fluffy male looked back and was satisfied with what he had brought for the others. Everyone would get their fill for this meal and then he and the females could hunt together later if they needed to.
"Where is the mommy? To my cubs? My older cubs' mother is not too far, she comes and goes as she pleases between our group and traveling by herself. The mother to my younger cubs, the hybrids, comes a little less often, but no, neither of them is on their way back with a kill. What I brought will feed us all for the moment and when they are up to it, the females and I will go out for a group hunt later, with one or two staying to watch the cubs... Does that answer your question?" He hoped he had answered it, but Athena was not sure.
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:46 pm
Morska'Zelena blopped down on her back haunches, dazed, confused and bewildered. Bewildered was a good word. Fathers didn't raise cubs alone. Mommies sometimes did. Shabnam even thought about it. But fathers, if there were any, always had mommies around to raise the cubs with them.
Never mind the love apparent in his voice when speaking about the cursed little ones. Males or females in the swamps would have killed them as soon as they realized they were cursed, but this male . . . . This male, raising his cubs without a mommy's constant presence unconditionally loved them despite their curse. Maybe even because of it?
Morska'Zelena looked again at the small band of felines, a family unit, not a pride. They were functioning without mommies. "You raise them as a single parent, more or less?" She asked looking at the fluffy male, looking for answers and to understand. She really wanted to understand.
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:18 pm
Athena shrugged his fluffy shoulders. "A bit. The females that wish to stay around me, such as Zenobia," He points to the white lioness with her butterfly wing pattern on her back. "Help me where they can, but even with out them, I would raise my cubs. I only do so much of the work because I insist on it. They are my cubs and I like spoiling the others." He gave a lopsided grin. "Does that seem odd to you? Not all mothers want to raise cubs even if the love them."
Athena sat up all the straighter and fluffier. He was proud of what he was doing for his cubs. This female might be confused by what he did, but that made it all the better in his opinion. It meant he was being an exceptional father rather than just a normal one. His cubs deserved an exceptional father. They were the best cubs ever, or so he said. He would dare anyone to disagree too.
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:44 pm
Morska'Zelena sat more comfortably and tilted her head in thought. She'd never thought of that possibility. Of a mommy not being there. Her own mother had done all the raising. In fact, Morska'Zelena didn't even know her father's name. She'd never asked, never cared to know, and still didn't. Her mother had all of her loyalty and love. But maybe . . . .
This fluffy male, spoiled and loved ALL of his cubs. He insisted. Obvioulsy not all fluffies were like that or her own father would have been there in her childhood. And obviously, cubs didn't need daddies if she hadn't even spared her father a thought through out her cubhood, but . . . that meant that cubs didn't really need mommies either.
"And your cubs don't need their mother around because they have you. Are most males like this? Are they family oriented? I mean I know that the pride had two parents for almost all of the other cubs, but i thought it was easier to hunt for the large family unit. But you're family oriented so some of those males were too."
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:45 pm
Athena shrugged. "They love their mothers, their mothers visit, but they have me to raise them... unfortunately, I think it is about half and half. Usually those that are family oriented, find a mate, settle down, and go that way, or are in a pride. Me, I'm not the pride sort. I love to wander, to travel. I love having many around me not just one, so I'm not the mate sort either, though I love each of those that travels with me dearly. It is easier for a male to be family oriented in a pride I guess..."
"I like hunting, so I do it... can't say it isn't nice to have paws to help with hunting, but it isn't a must to have another to help. Those males in your pride were likely the mate sort, or maybe a couple like me, depends on the pride, but usually it is the mothers that raise the cubs even if they do not wish to. I figure if the females don't want to, they can let me do it and it is up to them if they visit." Athena nodded his head toward the family. "Truthfully, I just like caring for others."
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:46 pm
Morska'Zelena nodded once trying to absorb everything the fluffy male said and wonder if Erlender was like him or was he a pride-mate type lion? Or something else entirely? At least she knew that Erlender and apparently this male wasn't like that first one she'd run across at the waterfall. They were tender in their own way. Loving. Supportive. Not like what happened with her own mother, an absent father figure that wasn't caring enough to even find them. Erlender proved fluffy males could be trusted. And obviously some males could be supportive, thoughtful, and tender.
"Do the mothers feel ... left out because they're not here with the cubs? Watching them grow?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:02 pm
Athena tilted his head to the side. "I do not think they do." He had to think about that one a little more but it did not seem that way to him. "Neither of the females that have carried cubs for me have been the kind that really wanted cubs before I suggested them. They love the cubs, but would rather just come and go as they please. They come often enough to see the cubs are growing."
Athena pats the female on the head. "It is not the normal way of things, but it is good enough for us. That is what matters. Maybe I will have a few litters of cubs with females that wish to be more involved, maybe even ones that do not stay with me. One never knows what they will come across in life until it gets there." The fluffy male shook out his mane, making himself look like a fluffball, and motions toward the others and the food. "There is food left if you wish some and you could rest here if you like."
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:30 pm
Morska'Zelena shook her head. As nice as the male fluffy was, they were still cursed and she had no desire to be kept from home because the spirits were being fickle and unjust. Morska'Zelena didn't want to offend the lion, after all, he'd just given her food for thought, and while her belly would have liked to have a little something extra before heading out once again on her journey home, she didn't want to risk the wrath of the lion, the spirits, or the gods. "Thank you for the very kind offer, but I've already eaten and I must be on my way home." She stood and stretched out her spine, cracking and popping as she stretched. "I wish my father had been more like you, then maybe I wouldn't be so ignorant of all the possibilities."
"You have given me much to think on. And wonder about. I hope you and your cubs have a happy and healthy life." Morska'Zelena doubted the cursed little ones really could get much out of their lives. But they didn't ask to be cursed, and she sincerely hoped they could find happiness and acceptance where ever they found themselves. She hoped this family pride was forgotten and looked over by the higher powers. The gods, goddesses and vijini where cruel sometimes and punished the innocent as a way to punish the parents.
FIN!
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